


Christmas, 1982

by sostrata



Series: The Hole in the Ground [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Christmas, Community: rs_small_gifts, Godfather Sirius Black, Harry Potter was Raised by Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, M/M, Post-First War with Voldemort, Raising Harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-09-13 21:53:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9143686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sostrata/pseuds/sostrata
Summary: It's the Christmas of 1982, over a year after Voldemort's defeat in the First War, and Sirius and Remus are raising Harry.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LLPotter](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=LLPotter).



> This was written for the livejournal community rs_small_gifts, as a present for llpotter. Her prompts were Raising Harry Christmas 1982, blankets, hot chocolate, carols. I would recommend that all Remus/Sirius fans check out that community. It's the best!
> 
> In this 'verse, Sirius was able to get away before being arrested, and he and Remus proved Peter's guilt. They are now raising Harry.

The motorbike flew threw the air, passing over rich pastures until it reached the foothills of a mountain range. Remus landed and rode the bike to the nearly vertical side of one of the hills. He dismounted and tapped the hill with his wand. A door rippled into view. His weariness vanished, and he smiled. Home.

After manoeuvring the bike into The Hole in the Ground ("Brilliantly creative name, that. Well done, Mr Moony." "Shut it, you."), he removed the invisibility shield from the bike and the Cloak from himself. Then he took the shopping bags and _Daily Prophet_ from the back of the bike and went down the passage to the living area. 

At the end of the passage, he was met with two fearsome sights. The first was the front room, which looked as though Christmas had exploded. Various bits of red and white and green were scattered all over the floor, and the naked tree slumped against the wall. It was like an advert for cleaning charms.

The second was a wizard who barred the way, clutching a wand in one hand and a stuffed wolf in the other. 

"Say the password," Harry demanded. He waved his toy wand, spraying red sparks.

"I really don't think that's necessary..."

"Password," Harry repeated firmly. His little face looked very stern.

Remus heard a chuckle from the kitchen. He sighed and gave in. "I saw three ships come sailing in, come sailing in, come sailing in, I saw three ships come sailing in in the morning."

His performance apparently passed muster, because Harry lowered the wand and hugged him. "Hi, Moony!" he chirped, as though he hadn't been on the verge of hexing him a moment before.

Remus fondly ruffled the eternally messy hair. He didn't know whether to be alarmed or endeared by Harry's tendency to take after Sirius. For his own sanity, he generally chose the latter. "Has Sirius blown himself up yet?"

"No!" Harry's eyes were wide at the idea. He had seen Sirius cook, and therefore knew all about things that blew up. He grabbed Remus's sleeve and anxiously led him into the kitchen.

The kitchen held a reassuring lack of doom and destruction, but something was bubbling on the hob, so perhaps it was the calm before the storm. Sirius was sitting at the table amidst piles and piles of cookery books and reading _101 Ways to Win Your Wizard Through His Stomach_.

This was the first Christmas in ages that they were able to celebrate properly, and Sirius was determined to get it exactly right. He'd always been an overachiever. His preparations for Christmas were nearly equal to those he'd taken for raising Harry. Remus was glad to see him so engaged in something after the dark time they'd been through, but he did need to relax a bit.

Sirius tore himself away from the book to grin up at him. "What a lovely singing voice you have."

Remus whacked him with the _Prophet_. Sirius laughed and pulled Harry on to his lap.

"I noticed your wonderful housekeeping skills out there."

"I thought I'd get everything out, is all. What did you get?"

Remus put the shopping bags and newspaper on the table. Sirius investigated the bags and pulled out a wad of tinsel.

"Sparkly," he observed. "What does it do?"

"It sparkles. It's what Muggles use instead of everlasting icicles. Doesn't do anything except look nice and get everywhere."

Sirius was clearly intrigued by the idea of a Christmas decoration that didn't sing or dance or have any special properties at all. He kept turning it over as though not really believing nothing would happen. Remus smiled affectionately. Sirius was irresistible, well, most of, well, really, _all_ of the time, but particularly when he was trying to understand something.

Harry, meanwhile, had fixed his attention on the _Prophet_ , as he wasn't yet old enough to know that one should just ignore it. He tugged Sirius's sleeve. "It's you!"

The front page bore a picture of Sirius wearing a loosely tied bathrobe and nothing else. The headline blared:

_**Sirius Black: Exposed!** _

_Sirius Black, godfather and legal guardian to The Boy_  
_Who Lived. Innocent man, upstanding citizen - or is_  
_he?_

"What are they on about now?" Sirius grumbled. "I haven't done anything illegal in...well, not this week, anyway."

_It has come to our attention that Black is a man of_  
_many secrets. Secrets that he would not like the rest_  
_of the Wizarding world to know. Secrets so disturbing,_  
_so strange, so unfathomable, they would appal even..._  
_someone not easily appalled. What are these secrets?_  
_In a five part series_

"Five parts!" Sirius thundered.

_In a five part series_ , The Daily Prophet _will expose_  
_everything you didn't want to know about Sirius_  
_Black. Our valuable source is not the head of The_  
_Sirius Black Fan Club, but in fact an old school_  
_chum of Black's who said he would accept chocolate as_  
_payment..._

"Wait a minute..." Sirius turned a suspicious look on Remus.

"Finite incantatem," Remus said, and the page dissolved to reveal an article about the Minister for Magic's gallstones.

"I know how much you _love_ getting worked up over their stories," he explained while attempting to repress his grin. Sirius looked so _indignant_. "Consider that an early Christmas present."

Sirius tried to scowl, but his eyes were too amused. "Come over here and let me thank you properly." 

"Oh, that's all right, no thanks necessary."

Sirius carefully placed Harry on the ground, then chased Remus out of the kitchen.

 

*  
Having now collected a large assortment of decorations, both wizard and Muggle, they began fixing the place up. Sirius, feeling incredibly light of spirit, sang "Deck the Halls" while he worked, and Harry enthusiastically joined in with the "Fa la la la la."

Holly and ivy were affixed to the walls, stockings were hung on the fireplace, and the tree was dressed up with the tinsel, magic snow and strings of small glowing orbs. Harry had made festive drawings - red and green blobs - and those were put in pride of place above the mantel.

They were mostly putting up the decorations by hand. For one thing, Sirius found it more satisfying, as though they were actually _making_ Christmas. For another thing, ever since the time Harry had turned the bathwater into ice cream, they tried not to use magic more than they had to in front of him so as not to give him ideas. Sirius smiled proudly at his godson, who was carefully hanging ornaments on the bottom branches of the tree. Not quite two and a half and already brighter than some adults. Particularly those in the Ministry.

He dipped into the box of ornaments and pulled out one of Hogwarts draped in snow. He smiled as he thought back to the Christmases they'd spent there. Those had been something. The suits of singing armour, the fairy lights, the massive feasts... 

After Hogwarts, Christmases had been...grim. And last Christmas... Sirius suddenly felt a great weariness wash over him. He sat down heavily and closed his eyes. He thought of James and Lily, and all that had happened since. The fear, the confusion, the cold, the mind-numbing anguish and guilt... 

Something soft pressed against his arm. He opened his eyes to see his godson looking at him in concern while offering him the stuffed wolf.

Sirius took the wolf and smiled at Harry, who looked like his parents, but who was also very much just himself. "Thank you," he whispered.

He glanced up to see Remus leaning in the kitchen doorway, eyes filled with a warm understanding. Something eased inside him. Whatever had gone on before, he had a family now, and that was what mattered most.

 

On Christmas Eve, while Remus was tucking Harry in bed after their nightly ritual of reading _Goodnight, Hippogriff_ , Sirius stood gazing at the tree. The tinsel and snow gleamed brightly, and the tiny orbs bathed the scene with a golden glow. From the mantelpiece there hung three red stockings, each bearing their owners' names, and up on the wall were Harry's festive drawings. He thought, _this is what they mean by "the magic of Christmas"._

Someone who was most likely Remus draped an arm around him. They stood there together for a moment in mutual contentment.

"It turned out quite nicely, didn't it?" Sirius remarked, unable to look away.

He felt Remus smile against his neck. "It's perfect."

 

They awoke early Christmas morning to "Hark the Herald" blasting throughout the house. Sirius heaved himself out of bed and managed to stumble to the entryway after only a few unhappy collisions with walls and furniture. He fumbled for the spyglass hanging beside the door and peered through it. A sheep was placidly grazing just inside their wards. Blowing out a relieved breath, he carefully scanned the area for anything more exciting, but all was still. 

"Everything all right?" Remus asked behind him. Sirius turned to see him holding his lighted wand and looking as alert as this hour of the morning allowed.

"Just a sheep," Sirius admitted, expecting a comment about overly sensitive alarms. But Remus only smiled.

"It's Christmas," he said, and kissed Sirius lightly.

The alarm had somehow not woken Harry -- Sirius reflected that perhaps this was what was meant by "Christmas miracles" -- and they consequently spent some time wishing each other a _very_ merry Christmas. At length, they heard Harry's piping voice telling his wolf "Good morning," and they fetched him to start the planned celebrations. 

The three of them settled by the twinkling tree and undertook the important business of opening presents. Harry had received a toy dragon that changed colours when one squeezed its tail; a puzzle of a Quidditch match in which the players zipped around once the puzzle was completed, and which Sirius refused to admit he'd bought because _he_ had liked it; and a book which had pictures of animals that made noise when one turned the page to them. Harry was especially taken with the dragon and kept squeezing its tail in delight.

Sirius unwrapped his present and barked a laugh. Remus had given him two romance novels featuring a werewolf: _The Heart of the Beast_ and its sequel, _Beastly Passion_. A malevolent-looking creature who resembled a werewolf in passing prowled around the front cover, and the back cover proclaimed, "In 19th century England, a wicked werewolf terrorises the countryside. Can true love change the beast's evil ways?" 

He raised his brows. "Hoping I'll pick up some pointers?"

"I just thought you might like to read something that wasn't for or about two year olds," Remus said with the mischievous smile that always made Sirius want to snog him.

In lieu of snogging, he pushed over Remus's present. The wrapping came off to reveal a coat and scarf in matching deep blue. Remus's obvious pleasure warmed him like butterbeer.

"Thank you, Sirius," he said sincerely.

"I've always thought you looked rather delicious in blue," Sirius was aghast to hear himself blurt out. Remus's nose crinkled with his smile, and Sirius decided it was time to retreat to the kitchen before he embarrassed himself further.

 

*  
Remus occupied Harry with his presents while Sirius made mysterious preparations for Christmas lunch. Harry sat on his lap, happily engrossed in his animal book. From the kitchen there came much cursing and clanging, and what once sounded like a muffled explosion.

"Need any help?" Remus called.

"Everything's under control!" Sirius shouted cheerfully, then yelped as something hissed loudly.

Remus assumed that, contrary to the sounds, Sirius wasn't actually under attack by a horde of giant snakes, and turned the page to the elephants.

At last, the disturbing noises quieted. Sirius, bearing no battle marks save a bit of potato in his hair, floated out the plates of food. They gathered around Harry's play table, Harry in his chair and the adults on the floor. There was turkey with stuffing and gravy, roast potatoes, cranberry sauce, brussels sprouts and even Christmas pudding, and it was all excellent. Sirius blushed charmingly when Remus told him so, and muttered that he'd only followed the recipes.

After the meal, they spent the remainder of the day in pleasant idleness. Sirius was on the floor helping Harry put his puzzle together, while Remus sat on the sofa with his hot chocolate and just enjoyed watching his family. Occasionally, he would lean over to pluck bits of tinsel and pine needles out of Sirius's hair. Then, Sirius would flash him a brilliant smile, and he would feel a wave of warmth that had nothing to do with the cocoa.

In the evening, Sirius carried to bed a drowsy Harry, who sleepily called, "Good night, Moony. Good night, tree." 

Remus called back his "Good night," then relaxed comfortably amidst the blankets on the sofa while he watched the magic fire crackle cheerily in the fireplace. The gentle strains of "Silent Night" drifted in from the kitchen, where the WWN had been left on. Even though they had been through a terrible period, he couldn't remember many other times when he'd felt so content. As for Sirius... it was as though a cloud had lifted from him with the arrival of the Christmas season, and he had finally been able to find himself again. Remus had been worried for a while, but now all seemed well. He touched the object in his pocket and waited.

Sirius returned and fussed with the blankets. After arranging them to his satisfaction, he sat beside Remus.

"Er, I got you something," he said, looking slightly nervous. "Something else, that is." He produced a wooden box from his pocket.

Remus examined it curiously. "Earrings?"

Sirius shoved him. "Open it. I promise it won't explode."

Inside were two small mirrors in silver-hued frames. The frame of one bore the exquisitely carved form of a wolf, the other a dog. 

"These are like the ones we had in school," Sirius said. "They're more powerful, though, and can only be used by you and I. They'll heat up when we want to talk. And they won't break."

"Sirius." Remus gazed at them in wonder. "They're beautiful." 

Sirius shifted a bit awkwardly. "Is this where I'm supposed to say, 'Not as beautiful as you'?"

"No, that's quite all right." He smiled at Sirius, hoping to convey at least some portion of how touched he was, and Sirius ducked his head with a shy grin. "I have something for you as well," he added, and took it from his pocket. It was a locket with a picture of Harry on one side and himself on the other. "It has a tracking charm attuned to us, that only you can use, so that you will always know where we are."

"Well," Sirius said roughly. He blinked rapidly and cleared his throat. "Now we'll never get lost."

Remus quickly moved forward to envelop him in a fierce embrace, which Sirius returned whole-heartedly.

"Merry Christmas, Moony," Sirius whispered.

"Merry Christmas, Padfoot." For the first time in years, it actually was.


End file.
